Fabulous! Portraits

Drawn from an expansive group of photographic portraits by artist Michele Mattei, Fabulous! Portraits by Michele Mattei presents a selection of large-scale images of women painters, sculptors, designers, dancers, musicians, and collectors who have shaped contemporary culture. The women represented in the exhibition have helped redefine women’s roles over the last century and continue to provide inspiration for the next generation.

Mattei was motivated to create portraits of visual artists Louise Bourgeois and Faith Ringgold, author Bette Bao Lord, dancer Carmen de Lavallade, and others because she believes their faces reflect their commitment to advancing culture and women’s experiences. Mattei notes, “In their face is written their challenges and their fights, their badge of honor and their reward for having given us the life we live.”

Interview with Michele Mattei

Watch the interview of Michele Mattei about her exhibition Fabulous! Portraits by Michele Mattei.

Mattei discusses the inspiration for creating this project, the women she considers role models, the response she has received, and the common threads that tie the photographs together.